I have been blessed to own alot of top cues

Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I dont know how many, give minute me think for a minute so dont GO! thinking about it around 9-10 custome shopps and 3 production shopps.

anyways with my back being so bad since Dec. I have only played fair on 3 different sessions in 7 months, I moved up to a 59" cue then a 60" it felt a bit long, becuse of the range of motion, so since i'm not in action or getting ready to go play something important "my off season" I like to use alot of my cues and learn about them why one player plays great with one cue and its fire wood to me.

So tonight I bust out a 8 point BB Boar, and even though its 58" I wasnt way back on the ass end of the cue and I got the reach I wasnt getting on all the other 58" cue's. It feels light but the cue us balanced foward. I took a pile of morphine today and my back hurt like hell so i stood up a bit higher on the cue which hanst worked at all for me, but it did tonight. I have been playing 5-15 minutes a night and playing bad, but tonight I played the 5 ball better than I have in months, wow it was great.

I played the best I have played since before I went to Rio and got sick, I only played 20 minutes and didnt feel good but the pockets were 8" wide it seemed, how or why I dont know. I doubt it was the cue, . I'm gona play tomarrow and see if it was luck, the cue or my imagination. Seriously I felt great i had total control of the Rock, thats a wonderful feeling and the BB is a awesome cue.


I heard Boars are great cues, Ive had mine for along time but never ggave a thought of using it, it was unhalked, Its WAY to fancy to me to bee a player, however If I keep playing like I did tonight itsgonna be a hard cue not to use, But I have never seen a cue make that much difference-mad I hpoe I keep plauig like this, I didnt want to stop but had too back was to much,

but yeah BB's are top cues for sure. I still like Gus/Barry cues beter.
 
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Good post.
seesaw.gif
 
I have not played with the highest end cues such as Szams and Bushkas... but I have played with some phenomenal cues like Searings and Ginas.

I know it is personal opinion, but how would you rate the BB hit compared to a Gina or a Searing?
 
CTYankee said:
I have not played with the highest end cues such as Szams and Bushkas... but I have played with some phenomenal cues like Searings and Ginas.

I know it is personal opinion, but how would you rate the BB hit compared to a Gina or a Searing?
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own 3 gina cues one is ivory end to end and is a bit heavy but playable-its ok, the other 2 Gina cues are regular ones and the Black Boar feels alot better to me, Ernie who makes Giancues is a good friend of mine and perhaps the best cue maker alive today when you consider everything but to me and i'm the exception his cues play good, not off the chart good. I have a couple Szambotis that dont play very good but thats an exception too. I have never hit a ball with a Searing cue.

To continue this discussion, because I own alot of Szam's both Gus and Barrys and have alot of experience with them, I have noticed one thing there is alot of difference in the hit of Gus's cues than Barrys, Barrys are more consistant. So I have some Gus cues I like more than Barry cues. But the standard of Barrys cues is so high that most are equal to Gus's cues. I have a couple Gus cues that are better hitting than Barrys and a couple Gus cues that just dont work for me at all like 1 in 20.

South West cues like Barrys are very consistant. At the other end are the Bushkas. I have one that is horrible just awful and one other one that is a close second. They are all CNC straight, LAZER straight, and in the origonal leather wraps try and find a seam with out a 10X loop. how he did it with one lathe amazes me, I have 3 or 4 that hit balls like the best Szams and one that to me is better than any Szam I own, but thats just an opinion not a fact, an experienced opinion, Every Bushka I own looks, smells, plays differently than the next one does. I think I have 8. I missed a great deal on one because I had my head in my ass and didnt buy it. Do I think Bushkas are better than Szams? 51% yes and 49% no-the reason being is Bushka was there first and had alot less to work with so he was a pioneer in some ways, he built the cue that I feel is the best hitting cue I have hit a ball with(I hope the cue Barry is building me gets that spot) so for those reasons there is a 2% spread, Gus built everything, points, amazing inlay work hand cut, Barry has followed in his shoes and taken it up another level and is still getting better thus the 2% might not hold up or I might change my mind-its just one mans opinion, its not really fair to compair them because they had different business models and were in a different era, just like the cues of 15 years ago and now alot has changed.

there really isnt a best cue out there and never will be, but chasing it down is fun.
 
Great post!
What weight ( butt and shaft ) do you like Eric?
Balance point and describe the hit you like.
 
Eric
you also have to remember that the shaft also makes a world of difference, I have a Gus that a cuemaker made a shaft for that hits OK and Barry made a 2 new shafts with his father's wood and it hits so much better. But again, hit is subjective but it makes you think about how the wood is affected by different drying methods.
Paul
 
JoeyInCali said:
Great post!
What weight ( butt and shaft ) do you like Eric?
Balance point and describe the hit you like.
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I like 19.5, but I have a 19oz Barry thats a bit foward balanced and plays heavier.


Since my febuary operation I had to change cues from that 19 oz Barry, infact thats the lightest cue I ever played with, When I weighed it I was amazed, I'm usually good at feeling the weight of a cue....so I thought that cue had me fooled good. anyways I had to change cues because I after the operation I need a longer cue for some reason I cant get enough extension on some shots with a 58" cue which pisses me off. Not on alot of shots but if I got to stun a ball with a full hit on the OB where i'm just a bit out of normal reach, like belly hooked for example, i'm not fat enough to get belly hooked anymore ;) .

So I switched to a 59" cue, A Gus with rose wood prongs its just a plain 4 Pt player cue. Its heavy I havent weighed it yet but its heavy. Its foward weighted, I have a hoppie style 59" Gus I wanted to use but its a bit heavy in the ass end.

Then just to see what was going on I busted out a 60" SW I ordered in 86 and have owned since, I played ok with it, Its the kind of cue that takes a while to adjust too, I have had it so long that I know it well and it takes at least 2 weeks or more to get used to that cue, but when I am used to it its a great cue. The length felt great. I have a 60" Barry never chalked that I wanted to try but its waaaaay to fancy to use.


Chris Bartrum plays with a 60" cue or maby its 61" I hit some balls with it, great feeling cue, he had a extension that screwed into it that was great, for giving him reach, i need that too with my back, thats a great idea on a cue
 
thepavlos said:
Eric
you also have to remember that the shaft also makes a world of difference, I have a Gus that a cuemaker made a shaft for that hits OK and Barry made a 2 new shafts with his father's wood and it hits so much better. But again, hit is subjective but it makes you think about how the wood is affected by different drying methods.
Paul
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Thats correct, I like time to be the way to dry wood, Old wood cues just hit better period. as a general rule, which is why shafts barry makes out of older wood are better.


The one gus I have thats "not his best work" just is a dud with any shaft, Its just a funny cue thats all, who knows why-I have tried alot of shafts on that butt, it just aint happining, I have a 8pt Tad thats the same. Sometimes there is just a cue for what ever reason that is just a dud.
 
I would agree , i have 2 of gus's and one made from barry and they all hit weirdly different. the older ones even hit different and have a better snap
 
CTYankee said:
I have not played with the highest end cues such as Szams and Bushkas... but I have played with some phenomenal cues like Searings and Ginas.

I know it is personal opinion, but how would you rate the BB hit compared to a Gina or a Searing?
Click to expand...

Hold on a second. I'm not knocking Szamboti's or Bushka's but they're no higher up the food chain than a Mottey or a Gina. Let us not forget that back in the day you could get a cue from Gus for under 500.00.

Again, I'm not knocking either of them but I think The Color of Money made a Bushka seem like there is some aura around it that can't be matched by any other cue. George and Gus are definitely the top of their field, and my hat is off to them, but let's be real. Ernie at Gina makes a cue that is just as sound and worth playing with.
MULLY
Not to mention that cue makers weren't exactly crawling out of the woodwork back then like they are now. Every other person you talk to is a cue maker these days.

P.S. I'd like to clarify that I'm not insulting the post that I quoted, I just wanted to use the "highest end cues" line and there it was. No offense intended to CTYankee
 
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mullyman said:
Hold on a second. I'm not knocking Szamboti's or Bushka's but they're no higher up the food chain than a Mottey or a Gina. Let us not forget that back in the day you could get a cue from Gus for under 500.00.

Again, I'm not knocking either of them but I think The Color of Money made a Bushka seem like there is some aura around it that can't be matched by any other cue. George and Gus are definitely the top of their field, and my hat is off to them, but let's be real. Ernie at Gina makes a cue that is just as sound and worth playing with.
MULLY
Not to mention that cue makers weren't exactly crawling out of the woodwork back then like they are now. Every other person you talk to is a cue maker these days.

P.S. I'd like to clarify that I'm not insulting the post that I quoted, I just wanted to use the "highest end cues" line and there it was. No offense intended to CTYankee
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oh i agree with you i have some cue's that hit better then the gus and cost alot less . It is all a name thing with old cue's and you are right there are 500% more makers now who make some damn fine cues!!!!
 
We needs pictures of your collection Fatboy and your home,cars,and whatever else you have that we can drool over! :D
 
mullyman said:
Hold on a second. I'm not knocking Szamboti's or Bushka's but they're no higher up the food chain than a Mottey or a Gina. Let us not forget that back in the day you could get a cue from Gus for under 500.00.

Again, I'm not knocking either of them but I think The Color of Money made a Bushka seem like there is some aura around it that can't be matched by any other cue. George and Gus are definitely the top of their field, and my hat is off to them, but let's be real. Ernie at Gina makes a cue that is just as sound and worth playing with.
MULLY
Not to mention that cue makers weren't exactly crawling out of the woodwork back then like they are now. Every other person you talk to is a cue maker these days.

P.S. I'd like to clarify that I'm not insulting the post that I quoted, I just wanted to use the "highest end cues" line and there it was. No offense intended to CTYankee
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i have a $60,000 gina cue and a Gus thats worth the same, one weould take a year to sell the other 12 hours....i'll let you guess which is which. :)

I own several Gina cues probably 50 szams, 7 SW, 8 Bushkas, 12 Tads, 1 motty, and another 20-30 cues, i have been playing since 83, i'm far from the greatest player but I do know a fair bit about cues play and why. Ernies cues and Mottys are great cues but they arnt best of the best, everycue is different, so generalizing Szam's are the best playing cues overall, Bushkas, Tads, SW's in that order as a rule have a higher % of that are great hitting cues, i have bad xues by each cue mker listed as well, thats just my ifnormed opinion,

additionally i have owned hundreds of cues as i was a flipper before the internedt came along, now i just pik my spots.
 
Fatboy said:
i have a $60,000 gina cue and a Gus thats worth the same, one weould take a year to sell the other 12 hours....i'll let you guess which is which. :)

I own several Gina cues probably 50 szams, 7 SW, 8 Bushkas, 12 Tads, 1 motty, and another 20-30 cues, i have been playing since 83, i'm far from the greatest player but I do know a fair bit about cues play and why. Ernies cues and Mottys are great cues but they arnt best of the best, everycue is different, so generalizing Szam's are the best playing cues overall, Bushkas, Tads, SW's in that order as a rule have a higher % of that are great hitting cues, i have bad xues by each cue mker listed as well, thats just my ifnormed opinion,

additionally i have owned hundreds of cues as i was a flipper before the internedt came along, now i just pik my spots.
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Yeah, but right there is the problem with any argument when people start in about great cues. I'm sure you'll agree with me that what feels good to one person may feel like dog dirt to another, hell you've owned enough cues and have basically said it yourself. Again, I'm not knocking Szamboti, Bushka etc... all I'm saying is that in the grand scheme of things there is nothing about them that makes them make balls better than any of the other top cue makers out there. Is there more worth as far as collecting goes? Sure, of course. I was just commenting about how some people say something like "I've never shot with a really high grade cue like a Szamboti" when in fact if you've ever shot with a Mottey, Gina, Joss West, Richard Black etc... you have.

Would I like to try shooting with a Bushka? Of course I would. I've never seen a Bushka cue up close. I'm interested in how one would play.......and would hope to get my hands on one that suits me. My ultimate dream as far as cue collecting goes is the Bushka with the plastic sleeve around the butt end. That is so bad assed it's not even funny.
MULLY
I'll never be able to afford something like that though so it's just a pipe dream
 
thepavlos said:
Eric
you also have to remember that the shaft also makes a world of difference, I have a Gus that a cuemaker made a shaft for that hits OK and Barry made a 2 new shafts with his father's wood and it hits so much better. But again, hit is subjective but it makes you think about how the wood is affected by different drying methods.
Paul
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I think you hit the nail on the head with this post. The different pieces of wood used to make shafts have different density and will play slightly different. Most cues come with 2 shafts and usually the owner likes one shaft a little better than the other shaft. The shaft he prefers is slightly different in stiffness or whatever and it feels better to that particular player.

The shaft and how it's set up will make or break a really nice cue. The best cue butt in the world won't play well with a crappy shaft and a cheap cue butt will play pretty good with a great shaft.

I've owned a lot of pool cues in my life (no Szams or Buskas unfortunately), but nice cues and the difference in how they played is amazing.

James
 
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henrygale39 said:
oh i agree with you i have some cue's that hit better then the gus and cost alot less . It is all a name thing with old cue's and you are right there are 500% more makers now who make some damn fine cues!!!!
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Well said and I couldn't agree with you more. It's supply and demand and the fact the people who can afford them want to own something that others can't go out and buy. Szamboti's and buska's are scarce and the few that are out there are worth a lot, but that doesn't mean that they play better than the cues being made today.

James
 
mullyman said:
Yeah, but right there is the problem with any argument when people start in about great cues. I'm sure you'll agree with me that what feels good to one person may feel like dog dirt to another, hell you've owned enough cues and have basically said it yourself. Again, I'm not knocking Szamboti, Bushka etc... all I'm saying is that in the grand scheme of things there is nothing about them that makes them make balls better than any of the other top cue makers out there. Is there more worth as far as collecting goes? Sure, of course. I was just commenting about how some people say something like "I've never shot with a really high grade cue like a Szamboti" when in fact if you've ever shot with a Mottey, Gina, Joss West, Richard Black etc... you have.

Would I like to try shooting with a Bushka? Of course I would. I've never seen a Bushka cue up close. I'm interested in how one would play.......and would hope to get my hands on one that suits me. My ultimate dream as far as cue collecting goes is the Bushka with the plastic sleeve around the butt end. That is so bad assed it's not even funny.
MULLY
I'll never be able to afford something like that though so it's just a pipe dream
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i'll give you one consession, as a rule old cues 30 yrs and older play better, i have played with Ernies older cues and they are MUCH better itting cues than his current cues. I own old Tads that all play beter than any of the new ones i own, szams etc the same way except SW's i like new ones better old ones get too hard and stiff...

The above is a generalization, can Barry make a cue that is better than 50% of his dads work? sometimes, even the old Barrys play better than his new ones, unless he uses some of his old stock wood. For the most Part old cues play better. Why? because the wood has stopped moving around and it gets a diferent feel to it, I would say at around 20 years old they start to settle in an 30 is the magic number, it dosent mean that all old cues play good lots of them suck, but when you do find a good one for you, it will take longer to find a new cue thats as good,

I get new cues delivered here in Vegas and they warp often-I had a new Barry shaft warp it was 3 or 4 when got it, its toast-it is affected by humidity, a earily 60's Bushka thats lazer straight will stay that way here the wood isnt effected by the dry air.

you ever come to Vegas bring over some "Real" sushi and you can hit balls tikl you cant stand it with any cue I have
 
Fatboy said:
there really isnt a best cue out there and never will be, but chasing it down is fun.
Click to expand...

Rep for this simple truth.


Fatboy said:
i have a $60,000 gina cue and a Gus thats worth the same, one weould take a year to sell the other 12 hours....i'll let you guess which is which. :)

I own several Gina cues probably 50 szams, 7 SW, 8 Bushkas, 12 Tads, 1 motty, and another 20-30 cues, i have been playing since 83, i'm far from the greatest player but I do know a fair bit about cues play and why. Ernies cues and Mottys are great cues but they arnt best of the best, everycue is different, so generalizing Szam's are the best playing cues overall, Bushkas, Tads, SW's in that order as a rule have a higher % of that are great hitting cues, i have bad xues by each cue mker listed as well, thats just my ifnormed opinion,
Not having your experience with the szams/bushkas, however having
experience with the others you've mentioned, I would agree with your
"if-normed" opinion. ;)
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Click to expand...
 
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Fatboy said:
i'll give you one consession, as a rule old cues 30 yrs and older play better, i have played with Ernies older cues and they are MUCH better itting cues than his current cues. I own old Tads that all play beter than any of the new ones i own, szams etc the same way except SW's i like new ones better old ones get too hard and stiff...

The above is a generalization, can Barry make a cue that is better than 50% of his dads work? sometimes, even the old Barrys play better than his new ones, unless he uses some of his old stock wood. For the most Part old cues play better. Why? because the wood has stopped moving around and it gets a diferent feel to it, I would say at around 20 years old they start to settle in an 30 is the magic number, it dosent mean that all old cues play good lots of them suck, but when you do find a good one for you, it will take longer to find a new cue thats as good,

I get new cues delivered here in Vegas and they warp often-I had a new Barry shaft warp it was 3 or 4 when got it, its toast-it is affected by humidity, a earily 60's Bushka thats lazer straight will stay that way here the wood isnt effected by the dry air.

you ever come to Vegas bring over some "Real" sushi and you can hit balls tikl you cant stand it with any cue I have
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Interestingly enough I have an old Scruggs (1983) and it is the best hitting cue in my modest little collection.
MULLY
wondering if sushi will last during a 13 hour flight
 
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